Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I am already a good player. Do I need the BAT?
A. The Billiard Aim Trainer (BAT) is meant for all players, however it is obviously more beneficial to amateur players that have trouble being consistent in pocketing balls. Regardless of your skill level there will always be times when you struggle with a particular cut shot. Although the BAT will definitely help the beginner and the intermediate players, it would be wrong to say that it cannot help the advanced player. One example of this would be blind cut shots. They are the most difficult to judge with the eye, even for an advanced player. I saw this practically when I showed Ralph Souquet and Mika Immonen the BAT prototype. The first thing they did was set the BAT up for a “blind” cut shot. So even a pro can benefit from using the BAT.
Because we are human it is natural to make mistakes. Our perception is not always reality and some days our mind is foggy and we struggle with simplest of shots. The BAT on the other hand never lies. It is based on geometry and can always be reliable to give you quick and accurate feedback when needed and clear up any confusion we may have about a particular shot.
Q. Isn’t the BAT just another “Ghost ball” aiming tool?
A. No. The BAT uses the 3-cut system taught in snooker. It does not recommend or teach players to use the speculative “ghost-ball” system. The BAT enables a player to see right through the cue ball and illuminates the whole aiming experience by showing how much of the ball is being cut; the actual degree of the angle, the actual contact point, the actual path the cue ball needs to take and the tangent line after contact. No other aiming tool on the market gives this much information.
Q. What aiming system does the BAT use?
A. The basis of the Billiard Aim Trainer is to provide a transparent view of the cue ball. That is how I started with the invention. I wanted to connect what was happening (contact point) with what the contact actually looked like (see through cue ball).
The idea of the BAT came about when I started to think of a way to see through the cue ball and to introduce the aiming method of the 3-cut system that is popular in snooker. I had never heard of the "ghost ball" technique until I came to the US.
The beautiful thing about the BAT is that it shows the relationship between the actual contact point and how much of the ball is being cut. You can actually get a visual reference of what is happening behind the cue ball.
Although the BAT can show you how to pocket all kinds of cut shots, there is special emphasis on the 3 main cuts (1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 or 49,30 and 14 degree angles). If a player can familiarize themselves with these three cuts (angles), all others cut shots are really only slight variations. So in effect it simplifies aiming.
When I demonstrated it in Vegas, I had people that were at level 2 (APA), pocketing half ball cuts and 1/4 cuts all over the table. The BAT helps anyone to start recognizing these common cut angles as they appear in different parts of the table.
Q. Does Allison use the BAT in her training?
A. Yes indeed and in fact, Allison was involved in the development of the BAT from the very beginning. She has incorporated the BAT and the 3-cut aiming system taught by the BAT into her own training academy.
Q. How is the BAT better than the Spider?
A. Aside from the fact that the BAT is less than a 1/3 of the price of the Spider, it is better on many counts, beginning with the fact that when you use the BAT, you will actually gain knowledge that you can take with you for applying later in your game. As soon as you use the BAT, you will know the degree of the angle, the amount of the ball being cut, the path of the cue ball, etc., all of which can be used for assessing cut shots when you later play. With the Spider, however, once you remove it from the table, you will not have any practical knowledge to take with you.
The biggest drawback of the Spider is that it’s aiming reference is a green circle projected on the table. Such a green circle does not exist in real play, so how can this system be transferred to the real world of play? The BAT on the other hand uses the edge of the object ball as its aiming reference. The edge is always there. You can see it and it never changes.
Q. How is the BAT better than Joe Tucker’s Aiming by the Numbers?
A. Both products are completely different. Joe Tucker’s aiming by the numbers tool is good, however, the BAT uses a completely different system for aiming which we and many others, including Allison Fisher believe is better.
Q. Do you guarantee improvement in aiming?
A. Yes. If you not fully satisfied within 30 days of your purchase, return the BAT for a full refund.
Q. Can the BAT help with banking?
A. Yes. As much as you understand how cutting a ball on a particular angle will result in the correct angle of return towards your desired bank pocket.
Q. Can the BAT help with kicking?
A. Yes, again. By placing the BAT along the rail you can actually see at what angle the cue ball will leave the cushion by pointing the BAT Arrow to each degree point representing the 3 cuts (14,30, and 49). Each 1/4 increment actually corresponds to one tip of English on the cue ball. One tip of English = 14 degree angle out or one diamond. Two tips = 30 degrees or 2 diamonds! (Discovered by Stan Shuffet)
Q. What do you mean by a blind cut shot?
A. A blind cut shot are those shots where the pocket you are aiming for is outside your field of vision when you are down on the shot. In other words, for a right handed player it would be extreme cut shots to the right of your body. Blind cut shot are the most challenging when they are at a long distance and are more than a half ball cut (30 degree angle). For the lefty it would be the same only to the left side of their body. These shots are the hardest to judge no matter how good you are. But after using the BAT, even these shots will be much easier, because you will start to recognize the angle from the standing position and will know if it is a 1/4, 1/2 or 3/4 cut shot or a slight variation thereof.
Q. How will the BAT teach me angles?
A. By using the BAT you will start to recognize the same angles popping up all over the place. In fact, you will be astonished how often a half ball cut appears. What you thought was a different shot, and maybe even a tough shot will suddenly occur to you to be the exact same shot you just did.
The system the BAT uses is based on geometry. It is a science. Having said that, you will always have to take into consideration the effects of throw and deflection, just like you would on any aiming system. But the 3-cut system the BAT uses is the best base to start from. It is more consistent.
The essence of the 3-cut system is to shoot straight and not worry about the contact point, because the reality is that you do not see the actual point of contact when the balls collide. Because you have two spherical object colliding, the contact point will always be different from the direction the cue ball is going. The 3-cut system, therefore teaches us to focus on shooting straight and to commit to memory these 3 cuts (1/4, 1/2, and 3/4). As you get better, you can also commit the 1/8 ball cut to memory. Once you know them, every shot you come upon in your game will be exactly one of these shots or a slight variation thereof. At this point, you can give more attention to position play and start really running racks.
Q. Why does the BAT emphasize only 3 types of cut shots?
A. Actually, this is not entirely true. Although the BAT does highlight the three main cut shots: 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, it will show variations of these cut shots by the fact that the player can see if the object ball is being cut more or less of these three standard cut shots. This is done by seeing the object through the BAT Window and also noting the degree and the contact point on the BAT Protractor. Once you are familiar with what constitutes a half ball cut, namely, a 30 degree angle and aiming directly at the edge of the object ball, then when you come across a shot that is slightly more or less of 30 degrees, you will know to aim slightly inside or outside of the edge of that ball. By making these three cut shots your reference points, it becomes easy to adjust accordingly when needed.
Next: Ask Batman
Download the BAT Training Manual (Version 1: October, 2006)
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